Kasaoka Island
by chronicxxinsanity
Summary: Sent to Kasaoka, Team 7 must figure out why a ghost tribe is hunting the natives. They're thrown into a different world where everything is deadly, and they face walls that put their mission on the line. Luck might be the only thing keeping them alive.
1. Mission: Kasaoka Island

_A/n: Hello, and welcome to a new tale. :) To create the 'feel' of this story, I combined a lot of different things. The animals and plant life are taken from the ones we have in the rain forests (in Asia, Africa, and South America...I wasn't picky) and the names of the people are Hawaiian. The combination isn't meant to go hand in hand, but I hope it works well enough together to give you an image of it. Anyway, I accept all constructive criticism and opinions and would love to hear what you (yeah, you, reading this right now) think of my story; both the good, the bad, the blindingly beautiful and the revoltingly ugly. [Note: I am well aware that Shizune was gone with Lady Tsunade at this time. However, I love her character and couldn't help but use her. :) ]_

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever own the rights to Naruto or any of the characters created by Kishimoto. I do, however, own my original characters, the plot idea, and the scenarios in which I'm throwing Kishimoto's beloved characters into. The chain of islands I've made up here are named after islands in Japan, so no, I don't own the names.**

_Beta: Nitroglycerin._

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><p><strong>Kasaoka Island<strong>

Chapter One: Mission; Kasaoka Islands

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><p>A moment ago, it had been the perfect late-spring morning. There was a light sheen of dew on the grass and trees that reflected back a bit of the dull sun, and the air was chilly; but the promise of a warmer day later kept everyone from complaining too much. Despite this, everyone – animals and humans - tried to stay indoors until later, when said-promised-sunshine brought the village warmth. The civilians all stayed indoors, envied by the few shinobi who were forced to remain outside. The rest, however, stuck to the Hokage Tower, known for it's immense heating system and oddly loud noises that disturbed the lazy morning every now and again.<p>

Cheers of joy rang out through the room, accompanied by what sounded like a herd of buffalo parading around the building. The ninja on the floor underneath would barely flinch at the sudden rampage, since they had seen the group of ninja heading up the stairs and knew what to expect.

The Hokage sitting behind his desk rubbed his ear in annoyance. Just because he could expect it, didn't mean he had to enjoy it. Most of the ruckus was caused by Naruto, jumping up and down and throwing his fist into the air, the curious addition to their usual group-meeting with the Hokage obviously forgotten. Sakura joined him, which was a little surprising seeing as up until then she had controlled her excitement about getting higher-ranked missions well, even going so far as to scold Naruto for being so childish. Kakashi just raised an eyebrow while the rest of the ninja in the room waited for the two Genin to calm down.

"It's _technically_ a B-ranked mission, Naruto. That doesn't mean it's dangerous enough to require that ranking," Kakashi tried to cut in, not letting his own curiosity show in his voice or posture. He remained standing with his shoulders slumped and hands stuffed in his pockets, throwing an apologetic look to Shizune, who stood between him and the rest of his team. She looked like she was hiding a bit of disappointment, and at the moment, Kakashi couldn't blame her. Shizune was closely examining the three ninja she would be spending the next few weeks with – anyone in their right mind would be trying to make up any excuse to leave or back out. She, however, was doing quite well in Kakashi's opinion. She managed to hide her uneasy expression from the two Genin, although to hide it from Kakashi and the Hokage was another story. Both could easily see that this wasn't where she wanted to be or the people that she wanted to be with, but the fact that she would at least pretend to be happy about it was a decent thing to do, in Kakashi's opinion.

"I don't care," Naruto breathed, beaming at the rest of the ninja in the room. "It's better than all the C and D-ranked mission we've been getting lately. We finally get to get out of Fire Country for a while. I can't wait to try some of the food in the south." Naruto sighed, finally settling down and looking at the Hokage with a content, yet still entirely goofy smile. Apparently, his previous stream of complaints about having to get up early and leave when it was still freezing outside had been long forgotten.

"But wait, who are you?" Sakura chimed in, tilting her head towards the black-haired Kunoichi who smiled politely in return.

"I'm Shizune." Both Sakura and Naruto craned their necks to look around Shizune to their sensei.

"Teams sent outside of Fire Country must contain four people. Our squad is one short," Kakashi explained, and by his younger teammates expressions, that was the wrong way to put it. Naruto's smile disappeared and a frown quickly took it's place. Sakura's chin fell to her chest, and her expression was unreadable – although he was sure she was anything but happy. They still weren't coming to terms with the loss of Sasuke.

"I also feel that, with where you'll be going, a seasoned medical ninja will be useful, if not completely necessary." The Third Hokage did a great job of pulling their attention to something other than their missing team mate. The idea that their mission could be fairly dangerous seemed to make both of their eyes sparkle in curiosity, excitement, and a little bit of wariness on Sakura's part. Kakashi sighed. At least one of his teammates knew how to try and take the possible dangers of a B-ranked mission seriously.

"We can take care of ourselves-" Naruto cried out indignantly.

"I'm ordering you to take Shizune and treat her like you would treat anyone else on your team. If I wasn't sending you two with Jounin, I wouldn't feel comfortable sending Genin at all." The way that the Hokage said the words so firmly made Naruto quiet down and Shizune sighed, not looking particularly happy about her welcoming into the team. "I think you'll find that she'll come in handy. You'll go on this mission with the remnants of Team Kakashi." He turned to Shizune and offered her a kind smile, something she awkwardly returned with an uneasy glance at Naruto.

"Where are we going?" Naruto asked, perking right back up despite the fact that he had looked dejected moments ago.

"The Kasaoka Islands-"

"Never heard of them." Naruto interrupted, looking slightly disappointed.

"It's a small chain of seven islands between the coasts of Tea Country and Wind Country. It appears there have been some trouble between the natives and people who are trying to take the islands for themselves." Kakashi watched Shizune's reaction closely. She quirked one eyebrow, but other than that her expression remained the same – schooled into an expression of neutrality that didn't quite cover the disappointment that laid underneath. "It's also extremely hot and humid, so you'll need to wear your summer uniforms to keep cool. I know you will also want to take off your sandals, but you will need to wear them at all times." At this, Sakura and Naruto both tilted their heads to the side, but as Naruto opened his mouth to question this he was interrupted. "You are to go and help the natives in both regaining control of their island and to help them build."

"What are they building?" Sakura asked, an almost child-like sense of curiosity shining in her eyes.

"A resort for both shinobi and civilians. The islands are quite beautiful, I've heard, a perfect location."

"Great! When do we leave?" Naruto's excitement and energetic manner brought a fond smile to the Hokage's face.

"Tomorrow morning. The journey there should take almost a week on land and a few days by boat. You will travel around Sunagakure; they've been informed of your passing, but you are not to engage in any contact with them." He was talking more towards Kakashi now, who would, no doubt, be in charge of keeping them on track and on schedule through the mission. "I've also arranged a sailor who is familiar with the surrounding seas to take you from the port to the island. The natives have means of communication to secure you a ride back across the sea." A scroll slid across the desk to Kakashi, who glance at it before slipping it into his vest's inner pocket. Naruto craned his neck to try and look at it, but it was out of sight before he got the chance. "It should be a pretty simple mission, so try not to find more trouble," the Hokage said with a knowing smile and pointed look to Naruto. "You're dismissed. Kakashi, Shizune, can I speak to you alone?"

"Of course." Shizune nodded, smiling politely to Naruto and Sakura as they filed out of the Hokage's office.

Kakashi smiled when he heard their footsteps leave the room and pause outside the door. He could easily imagine them both leaning against the door and pressing their ears against the wood. "What is it?"

"This island is home to many different... odd animals, not quite like the ones we have here. There are several poisonous frogs, spiders and snakes, so make sure everyone stays clear of them." At this, Shizune's eyes widened briefly, although that was the only sign that she was surprised at the unusual danger. "Let the natives tell you what you can and can't eat, and make _sure_ Naruto knows this. Shizune, these have been mixed in our own labs. Take them – general anti-venom – but hopefully you won't need to use it at all." The Third Hokage pushed three vials of pale yellow liquid into Shizune's hands. She inspected them for a moment before putting them in the tan pouch tied around her hips.

Kakashi felt the urge to sigh in relief. He would be adequate when it came to healing someone if they got hurt or bitten by something, but to have someone beside him who had been specifically trained and knew without a doubt what they were doing was reassuring, especially since they were so far from home or the nearest hospital.

"Thank you."

"Here is a map of the seven islands." A scroll was laid out on the desk and the Hokage quickly unraveled it, spinning it around so that Kakashi and Shizune could see it. The map was easily recognizable – the coast lines of Wind Country and Tea Country at the edges of the page were both marked, but the small chain of islands in the middle was so small that it was left off of other maps Kakashi had seen. The Third Hokage reached forward and pointed to each island in turn. "You will land on Takashima Island, the main one. There are several more; Shiraishi, Kitagi, Obishi, Kobi, Manabe and Mushima. Takashima seems to have the most ground cover, and I assume it has more snakes and bugs hiding in the bushes and trees as well. Keep clear of them if possible, and stick to the higher tree tops. It doesn't seem like you'll have to travel to the other smaller ones, but that natives have boats you can use if you have to." The Third Hokage sent Kakashi a knowing look, reading his quirking eyebrow as easily as if Kakashi had just asked the question out loud; _Why couldn't they swim or walk across the water?_ "There have been reports of several shark attacks on the coast of Wind Country, and I can only assume that the sharks would inhabit this area as well. So if you absolutely have to fish or cross the waters without a boat, be careful."

"Understood." Kakashi tucked the piece of paper into his vest, giving Shizune a reassuring smile before leaving the office, taking great pleasure in throwing the door open and watching Naruto and Sakura stumble over the threshold and onto the floor.

* * *

><p>A pair of dirty feet were dragged through the forest, kicking up leaves and twigs and leaving behind a pathetically noticeable trail. Three bodies moved through the thick trees and bushes in a row, moving as one large body to maneuver around the trees and climb over logs. The other two people, the conscious ones, would have been able to cover their tracks by smoothing the ground and replacing the overturned leaves and dirt, but the fact that they were in a hurry and knew that nobody would be following them made it a little less nerve-racking to be leaving such a trail.<p>

The limp man's arm slipped from around the shoulders of the taller man, his body falling awkwardly against the smaller one and nearly sending him toppling into the bushes at the sudden amount of weight. In an instant, the larger man gripped the man's bloodied arm and wrapped it around his shoulders, finding a better grip on his back while avoiding the wound just under his ribcage – which was proving to be more and more difficult as the blood smeared and spread down to his shorts.

"Hurry." The word was hushed and unnecessary. Both knew that the man between them was loosing blood fast, only adding to their trail and the difficulty of keeping him held between them.

"Eleu's holding the boat, is he okay?" A woman's voice greeted the two men before they could see her, standing off to the side of their intended path with a worried look on her tan face. The man's head was hanging forward, throwing his black hair over his face and keeping it hidden – not that they needed to see his closed eyes, permanently pained expression and red markings to know who he was. The woman turned and began leading the way through the forest. The red markings that had dragged from her bottom eyelids down to her chin had smeared and she looked even more threatening in the dimming light.

The tall man grunted and they quickened their pace through the forest, finding it easier when branches and leaves were held out of their way by the woman. It didn't take much longer until their bare feet left the rough forest ground in place of refreshingly cold sand. They didn't halt their movements, and instead raced across the open beach to where a boat sat halfway in the water.

They awkwardly put the unconscious man in the boat, aided by Eleu to try and keep his torso as straight as possible. Once the man was in the boat, the three people hauled themselves in as well, leaving the forth to push the boat into the water before joining them.

"You need to stop the bleeding," the tall man stated, watching as the woman crouched down beside the man and inspect the wound on his lower back. Her balance remained impeccable as the boat swayed back and forth, moving towards the smaller island in front of them at a pace that was far too slow. Raising her hands to the dirty wrappings around her chest, she quickly began unraveling them and turned back to the man laying at the bottom of the boat.

"Sit him up," she demanded in a tone that would have normally irritated the two men. However, this time they did as they were told, holding their friend as steady as possible while the woman wrapped the bindings around his torso.

With the bleeding momentarily stopped, the four people relaxed, letting the boat carry them further and further away from the battlefield.


	2. Rumors of the Ghost Tribe

**Kasaoka Island**

Chapter Two: Rumors Of The Ghost Tribe

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><p>Nearly a week of traveling had left Naruto tired and oddly depressed by the heat while Sakura seemed to flourish under the unusually hot rays. Shizune had been doing her best to hide her discomfort, although she didn't seem to be too outside of her comfort zone, and Kakashi was trying to make the best of the heat despite the fact that he preferred more moderate temperatures. He would have even enjoyed a bit of rain – though he would never admit it - but the spots of water that splashed against his mask and face from the water crashing against the poles of the marina dock would have to be enough for now. The sound was rhythmic and soothing as Team Seven and their addition sat at the main dock in the marina.<p>

"This is my last bowl," Naruto whined, staring mournfully into a full bowl of ramen sitting in his lap.

The team had traveled surprisingly fast through Wind Country, avoiding any and all contact with the ninja to keep from antagonizing the hostile people. This, and the lack of overwhelming sand storms and more-than-unbearably hot temperatures made their journal quick and easy, which left them standing at the marina a day earlier than planned.

"You'll be fine, Naruto. You can have as much ramen as you want when we get back." Sakura laid beside Naruto with her back pressed against the warm, slightly uneven wood of the dock and her feet dangling off the edge. Both had taken off their sandals and tossed them aside, glad to have a tiny bit of air cool their sore feet.

Sakura and Shizune had taken to their summer clothes easily while the other two had had a harder time of breaking them in. At the thought, Kakashi absentmindedly scratched the arm resting on top of a box filled with water bottles, not completely used to having his skin so exposed since he hadn't had to wear the short-sleeved shirt in years. He pushed the slight irritation to the back of his mind, turning his attention back to his students and watching them with an amused and lazily-drooping eye. A small, content smile on her face indicated that Sakura was definitely a warm-weather person, whereas the discarded jacket and constant shuffling and complaining of Naruto suggested that he was anything but.

"But that could be weeks! I don't know what I'll do. How will I survive?"

"How about I treat you when we get back? Ichiraku beef ramen, all you can eat." Kakashi cut off what was sure to be a round of '' chants with a serious look. "_If_ you drink enough water so that you don't get dehydrated." Kakashi negotiated carefully, knowing that Naruto wouldn't forget an agreement like that, but also hoping that it would keep the energetic boy drinking enough water so that he didn't spontaneously pass out. If it kept him from carrying Naruto's unconscious body for weeks, he would let his wallet take the hit.

"Are you trying to go bankrupt?" Sakura asked with a quirked eyebrow, squinting and using her hand to shield away some of the sun as she glance behind Naruto's back to Kakashi.

"It'll keep him happy while we're here. And alive while we're at it." Naruto narrowed his eyes briefly at his sensei, mumbling something about 'the old man's odd priorities' before turning his gaze back down to his ramen.

"Unlimited ramen," Naruto challenged.

With a sigh and a shrug, Kakashi accepted the challenge and Naruto grinned, catching one of the water bottles Kakashi had aimed at his head. The other one flew over his lap and hit Sakura's side, although she didn't seem to notice and instead stretched her legs out in the sun.

"You know, I was a little skeptical of getting out of the village, but it really is nice." Shizune sat herself down next to Kakashi, her back leaning against one of the tall poles that held the dock up and out of the water.

"Nice? It's boiling hot. I think the air is actually warmer than my broth," Naruto whined, draining the water bottle and setting it aside. Sakura grabbed one next to her and rested it on her forehead, the ever-present smile growing at the cool feeling of it.

"It's a little sunny, I guess." Kakashi shrugged, glancing up at the sun and hiding his amusement. Shizune's look of disbelief coupled with her frizzing hair was giving her a rather entertaining appearance. Despite their rough beginning and her not-so-welcome welcoming into the team, Shizune had fit in better than Kakashi had originally thought. He was pleasantly surprised when she teased Naruto about being slow, and was relieved when she got along well enough with Sakura to explain how and when to use the anti-venom that she had received from the Hokage. Things could be a lot worse, teamwork wise; at least his students were willing to talk to the person who was essentially replacing Sasuke.

"How is it that you don't sun burn?" Shizune asked, rolling her head against the pole behind her to glance at Kakashi. He shrugged, inspecting his exposed – and admittedly pale - forearm. It surprised everyone when his skin didn't even tan in the constant sun, but both him and Shizune couldn't explain why. It never had before, and he wasn't complaining. From the look of Naruto's angry red skin during their first part of their journey through Suna, it wasn't fun. Thankfully, though, the nine-tails healed his burned skin as fast as any other wound. Another moment of complaining would have caused Sakura to kill Naruto before they even made it to their destination.

"It's gone, it's all gone," Naruto groaned, staring moodily into the empty bowl of ramen in his lap.

"He's late." Sakura noticed with a sigh, lifting her head up enough to scan the water in front of them. When it was clear that there was still no boat coming their way, she let her head fall back against the dock and shut her eyes.

"We're not in any rush. The trip here took a day less than we thought. We're just lucky he's available to start out early or we would have to hang out here for another day." Kakashi's reasoning didn't seem to make Naruto and Sakura feel any better. Naruto groaned at the idea of spending an extra day laying in the sun. The stifling heat and lack of a strong breeze – despite the fact that they were standing right next to the ocean - made it unbearable. The people around them didn't seem to mind, though. Most wandered around with their pants rolled up and their shirts nowhere to be found (with the exception of the women, of course). Everyone seemed to have well-tanned skin, making the four ninja on the dock stand out more than usual, and if this was their average weather, it was obvious why.

"Is that him?" Shizune brought Kakashi's attention to a light blue sailboat that was coming towards them.

"Nope." Her hand fell back into her lap when Kakashi shook his head, and she let her head fall back against the pole again.

"That one?" Sakura seemed to perk up when she noticed a pale pink sailboat close by, the sails being hoisted noisily up the mast, but it turned before it reached them and headed out to the open waters, through the opening of the rock wall that encased the marina.

"Nope."

"Oh, dear Hokage, no," Sakura whispered, looking horrified as a small, beaten up sailboat in what could only be described as a puke-yellow-green color came through the rock walls that separated the open ocean from the docks. The boat made a small turn away, and for a moment Sakura seemed to relax. That is, until the boat then turned to pull up inches away from the dock – at that, she let out a groan and stood up along with the rest of the team. A moment later, a short, rotund man with a tangled gray beard leaped off the boat, landing with a thud beside Naruto and pulling a long line with him, making a neat knot at the bow of the boat before running (perhaps waddling was a better word) over to the stern to repeat the knot, effectively tying the boat to the dock.

After his work seemed to be done, the man turned and gave the four ninja a wide smile and clapped his hands together, as if to ready himself for a long, interesting journey. "Are ya the Leaf ninja?" The man asked, his voice more lilted and not quite as hoarse as his appearance led Kakashi to expect. The four nodded, Kakashi being the only one looking somewhat comfortable with his hands stuffed into his pockets, and at least not horrified by the tiny, horribly colored sailboat that would be their ride.

"Yes. Are you Uki?"

The man nodded and swept his arm in a big arc behind him, motioning with a fond smile to the boat. "Well, allow me ta introduce Lady Beauty, my beloved 25 Casu Sailboat."

"'Lady Beauty'?" Sakura whispered skeptically, and Kakashi swiftly whacked the back of Naruto's head when he started snickering.

"Yep, sure is beautiful, ain't she?" Uki's small eyes swept the boat, seeming to overlook the many scraps, small gouges and overall appearance of the boat.

Sakura briefly wondered exactly what he saw when he looked at it, because it most definitely wasn't what she saw. With her head tilted to the side and a look of disbelief on her face, Sakura asked, "It's a girl?"

"Of course she is; all boats are girls. Don't you know anything about sailin'?" Uki asked, raising an eyebrow at Sakura and giving her a look that said he may be questioning the girl's intelligence. The expression irked Sakura, but before she could make any form of reply, Naruto made a slightly more reasonable and realistic response.

"Uhhh, nope. Not really."

"What are ya waiting for? Hop on. We'll get going as soon as I talk ta someone here." Uki motioned again to the boat and walked away, patting the side of the boat affectionately before leaving the four ninja to board the sailboat in silence.

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><p>At the first sign of sea sickness, Naruto disappeared into the cabin of The Beauty, with Sakura and Shizune close on his heels. The cabin was really small, which wasn't surprising given the size of the boat, but relatively clean with a table full of maps and pencils that rolled across when the boat rocked against a particularly large wave. Uki had remained up in the pit of the boat, claiming that someone needed to constantly tend to the sails if they wanted to get there in an efficient manner.<p>

Naruto let out a particularly painful groan, rolling onto his side from his position on the small couch and clutching his stomach.

"You need to breath in through your nose and out through your mouth, Naruto," Shizune chastised.

"I am." Kakashi wasn't sure if he had actually said anything, or if the groan merely sounded like a whining response.

"No, you're not. I can hear it – you're breathing in through your mouth." Sakura joined in, probably more to get Naruto to be quiet than to help him feel better.

The cabin was obviously not meant for four people to sit comfortably, and for the past hour Kakashi had leaned against the door that lead to the head, allowing the other three to take the only available seats – or a make-shift seat, in Shizune's case. After another round of groans, followed by Shizune and Sakura scolding Naruto either on his breathing exercises or how he was laying down, Kakashi desided it was time for a breath of air and the possibility of information gathering.

"I'll go keep Uki company." He didn't seem to get any complaints from the three tired and slightly sea sick ninja, and climbed the small ladder that lead into the pit.

Uki was sitting beside the wheel, glancing up from his compass to nod to Kakashi briefly.

"We're on course?" Kakashi asked, watching as Uki hoisted himself out of his seat and walked over to one of the faded bronze wenches.

"We are, just have to make a slight adjustment." The man untied the rope from it's secured knot and allowed a small amount to slip through his hands before he tied it back up. "There we are." He sat back in his seat heavily and adjusted the wheel. Kakashi could feel the boat turning just slightly, and sat in a comfortable silence for several minutes, simply enjoying the sounds of the ocean and the warm sun as it began its descent to the horizon.

"Your letter never explained why ya want ta go somewhere like the Kasaoka Islands," Uki said, adjusting the scraped and battered wheel every so often and checking his compass. The sound of the ocean and the sails moving in the wind was surprisingly relaxing – much better than listening to Naruto and Sakura complain about the appearance of the boat or Shizune scolding Naruto.

"It seems that the natives are having problems with people trying to scare them off the island. They haven't been able to take care of it, so we've been called in." Kakashi answered simply, his eye scanning the horizon for any form of land. After a few hours at sea, there still didn't appear to be anything in the distance. Even though he wanted to, Kakashi fought the urge to ask if they were there yet like an impatient kid.

"Why wouldn't they call in someone from Wind?" Uki asked, propping his short legs up on one of the faded wenches that lined the pit.

"To my knowledge, it recently became a Wind territory. Unless everything is absolutely final, the land isn't theirs, and I guess they can call in whomever they like."

"That still doesn't explain why ninja from Fire would be sent out," Uki pointed out.

"Wind operates differently than Fire does. Unless they get a mission that is directly relevant to the safety of their people or official lands, they stay out of it." Kakashi shrugged, but continued. "In a way, I understand. It's a matter of pushing your nose into other people's business. It creates more conflict than they think it's worth, I think. I can't know for sure, though. You'd have to ask someone from Wind Country."

"And Fire Country is that different from Wind?"

"Very. We'll help anybody who asks for it-"

"Or who can pay for it," Uki cut in with a knowing smirk.

"Unfortunately, that's a huge part of it as well. We won't be sent out on a mission for someone who can't pay unless it's a dire situation, we have too many ninja in the village or a lack of missions." Kakashi felt slightly awkward about where the conversation was heading. He had been on many missions where the clients resented the fact that not everybody was helped, and that those who could pay for it received better service over those who couldn't. It was how it worked, but it didn't mean anybody had to like it. Still, he wished that people would realize that it wasn't any particular person's fault.

"I take it that's not the case here?" Uki questioned with a raised bushy eyebrow as he scratched at his beard.

"No, we actually have a slight shortage of available ninja at the moment." In a way, it was nice to have someone curious about how their village worked. The idle chatter about the politics of ninja was moving to where he wanted it – about the natives – so that he could gather any extra information possible before making it to the island.

"And the natives are able ta pay ya for your assistance?"

"Apparently. We don't take the money directly from them, it's sent in with the request, and is given back if we don't complete the mission."

"I wouldn't count on keeping their money, then," Uki said, his eyes set on the water in front of them as he adjusted the sail. All shadows of a smirk or knowing smile was gone from his face, making the wrinkles on his leather skin more pronounced than they were before.

"What do you mean by that?"

"To complete your mission, ya have ta get rid of the people trying ta chase off the natives?" Kakashi nodded, watching Uki's face intently for any sign that he was feeding him anything but the truth. "Good luck ta ya. You'll be fighting the ghost tribe." At this, Kakashi leaned forward a bit, not bothering to hide his curiosity about the subject.

"Ghost tribe?" Kakashi questioned. Uki nodded and grabbed one of the ropes wrapped around a large wench behind him. He struggled for a moment to pull the rope in tighter against the winds, making an odd clicking sound as the wench turned, and Uki wrapped it back around an oddly shaped hook that was bolted to the space beside it when he was done.

"It's only a legend, mind you, but it had ta have come from somewhere, right? A lot a people don't believe in the ghost tribe, but it all makes sense ta me."

"What's the ghost tribe?" Kakashi pressed, not willing to let the conversation steer away at the moment.

"A tribe a people living on Takashima Island – the second biggest. Terrifying, apparently. They blend into the shadows, and have red markings on their faces – blood from the enemy, my friend used ta think. Supposedly, they're older than the natives themselves. They attack visitors at night with arrows and poisoned darts. They can move like monkeys through the trees and shrubs, and know the island better than anyone else."

"Why do people assume they're ghosts?"

"They disappear." Uki's stony expression said that he was a little spooked by the legend himself.

"Right before their eyes?" Kakashi was a little skeptical of that – there were many tricks that could make someone appear to disappear.

"Apparently, during one of their battles with the natives, they gave chase when the ghosts retreated into the trees. One a the men was able ta keep up with them, but out a nowhere, they just...disappeared." Uki made a motion with his hands to emphasize the last bit. "No sight or sound of where they went. They were there one moment, feet ahead of 'im, and then they were just...gone. People, not even ninjas, can do that without leaving some sort of a trace."

"Interesting." Kakashi sat back against the small backrest, following Uki's line of sight to where a small mass was finally becoming more and more prominent over the horizon.

* * *

><p>"Why is revenge your only answer?" A woman snapped, glaring angrily up at her brother as he wiped the remnants of red paint from his tanned skin. He gave her a disapproving look, kneeling down by the stream to splash a bit of water on his face to both clean it and give them a break from their argument.<p>

"Do you have a better one?" he asked, standing back up and glancing down at the glowering woman. The lack of response and a simmering glare from his sister answered his question. "Exactly. They injured our father, what do you expect us to do?" He waited a moment for any sort of response, but continued on when none came. His sister didn't make any move to interrupt him, but leaned against one of the large trees and sank to the ground. "We _can_ and _will_ fight back with everything we have. We will take back the land they are destroying before more harm can be done to it. It's not just us we're fighting for. He knelt down next to his sister, speaking in a quieter and much more understanding tone. She still refused to look up and meet his gaze, but the fact that her temper hadn't flared any further meant that she was at least listening. "They're destroying the homes of many animals here. After they take over the island, where will they live? They'll be wiping out hundreds of thousands of lives and we'll be forced to leave our home."

The girl looked down at her lap, unwilling to admit that she didn't have a better response. Her brother laid a hand on her shoulder and gave her a pitying look, not enjoying the pain the situation was bringing to her. "I'm sorry, Nahona, there's no other choice. In two weeks, we attack again."


End file.
